U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad gestures during an interview with the Associated Press Friday, May 18, 2007 at the United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (Associated Press)

(Newser)
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The UN will expand its role in Iraq and try to help quell the sectarian violence that has hobbled the country, after a Security Council vote today. Iraq's government says it'll help peacekeepers mediate disputes between the feuding sectarian groups and among Iraq’s neighbors in the region; the blue helmets will also address the country’s humanitarian crisis.

The US and Britain, who co-sponsored the resolution, argued the UN should shoulder more of the burden in Iraq, but the US ambassador to Iraq stressed the UN’s work is “not a substitute for what the United States is doing.” The resolution requires the UN to submit to Iraqi authority and pull out personnel if security conditions deteriorate.